Review: Gravblocks+ (Wii U eShop)

Puzzle games featuring various dropping colored shapes are a dime a dozen nowadays, much to the joy of puzzle fans. The variety of these available is staggering, with retro, free to play, HD and variations like Dr. Mario available. From Nothing Game Studios thankfully realizes that in order to succeed in this genre, solid gameplay with new mechanics are necessary, and delivers just that.

Gravblocks+ is a match three puzzle game that takes place in an alien spaceship. Your abducted character is having his brain tested by aliens in a charming little storyline narrated in-between stages. While the story itself is interesting enough, the aliens are creepy, in a bad way, as they look more like something disturbing from a corny movie than genuinely scary.

Despite the odd background decisions, the gameplay elements are enough to draw you into Gravblocks+. By matching three of like-colored blocks, they disappear. Matching blocks with bomb blocks blows them up, as well as those of matching colors. The real creativity comes in with the gravity blocks, as matching three identical ones (pointing in the same direction) alters gravity in that direction.

When blocks can be flipped sideways, upside-down and more with gravity blocks, Gravblocks+ becomes a lot more technical than it may lead you to believe. Lining up blocks correctly is key to success, and is oftentimes difficult to do. Thankfully the walls of the game will randomly disappear in spots, leaving electric gates. Hitting any of these with a block causes the block to disappear, helping to clear out any obstructive ones. Unfortunately this also resets your multiplier to zero, so be careful.

Past the story mode is a Puzzle Mode, which tasts you with removing blocks within a set number of moves. With 150 different puzzles to tackle here, there is plenty to keep puzzle enthusiasts happy. In addition, Challenge and Zen modes offer up challenging and calm versions of levels to attempt, with adjustable difficulties.

Despite the previously mentioned visuals, there is a deal of customizability included to unlock as you play. Custom colored cursors, different backgrounds (to get away from the observing aliens!) and more are unlocked as you meet in-game achievements.

Despite its graphical oddities, Gravblocks+ is a fun little puzzle game- though it isn't actually very little as it offers a significant amount of content. Keeping the puzzle matching frenzy fresh, this title is one that fans of puzzle games should enjoy for its solid gameplay, simplistic yet difficult levels and unique ideas.